Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Study on Veterans
with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder (PTSD) Completed
To all Veterans, Dr. Harch, Juliette Harch,
and Claire Aubrey of Harch Hyperbarics and the staff of the Family
Physicians Center would like to thank you for your service.
Preliminary evidence from a study of low
pressure Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) for veterans with chronic
blast-induced traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and/or post traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD) is about to be published. The study was
initiated to test the safety and feasibility of HBOT in these
conditions, but somewhat surprisingly demonstrated stunning improvements
in the veterans. Dr. Harch and colleagues hope the study results
will begin to change the way the medical field looks at this
life and quality-of-life-saving therapy.
This brain injury program is a direct result
of the many years of experience of Dr. Harch treating chronically
brain-injured patients. In the late 1980's while at the Jo Ellen
Smith Hyperbaric Medicine Unit, Dr. Harch observed patients with
cerebral decompression sickness and/or air embolism who responded
to hyperbaric oxygen therapy long after treatment of inert gas
bubbles had passed or with delayed treatment months to years
after standard U.S. Navy treatments had achieved partial success.
In addition, Dr. Harch observed patients with traumatic brain
injury or stroke who, months to years after their head injury
experienced gratuitous neurological improvement during the course
of hyperbaric treatment.
Now, in a continuing effort to have TBI/PTSD
recognized as one of the standard accepted indications for HBOT
treatment this phase-one study has been completed. With TBI/PTSD
renowned as the signature wound acquired from the war on terror
Dr. Harch wants all veterans to know that help is available.
To all Veterans, Dr. Harch, Juliette Harch,
and Claire Aubrey of Harch Hyperbarics and the staff of the Family
Physicians Center would like to thank you for your service.
“To the Veterans who participated
in the LSU Pilot Trial Harch Hyperbarics and the staff of the
Family Physicians Center thank you for your special service.
You placed your trust and confidence in them, took a chance on
hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and came to New Orleans for treatment
from all over the United States. Your commitment of time, energy,
and trust hopefully was personally rewarding, but is about to
contribute immeasurably to the future health of the hundreds
of thousands of fellow Veterans with concussion and post-traumatic
stress disorder who have been unable to access the life and quality
of life saving potential of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Within
the next week the first article on the study in which you participated
will be published. The abstract can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22026588.
The full article will soon be published on the Journal of Neurotrauma's
website: http://www.liebertonline.com/toc/neu/0/jai. Again, thank
you for your service and thank you to the many military service
and veteran service organizations, non-profit foundations, and
private citizens who contributed the funds to complete this study.”
Dr. Harch and staff.
Harch Hyperbarics Inc.
5216 LAPALCO Blvd
Marrero, LA
(504)309-4948
Harch Hyperbarics Inc.
5216 LAPALCO Blvd
Marrero, LA
(504)309-4948 www.hbot.com
Dr. Harch is a hyperbaric medicine, diving, and emergency medicine
physician who is a Diplomate of the American Board of Hyperbaric
Medicine and the Board of Certification in Emergency Medicine
of the American Board of Physician Specialties.
Dr. Harch's clinical experience through
2007 spans 23 years in hospital-based emergency medicine and
21 years of hyperbaric medicine. He graduated from Johns Hopkins
University School of Medicine in 1980 and was awarded Magna Cum
Laude and Phi Beta Kappa status on graduation from college. He
has trained in general surgery, radiology, diving, and hyperbaric
medicine.
In recognition of his accomplishments in
clinical practice, teaching, and research he was awarded fellowship
status in the American College of Hyperbaric Medicine in 1997.
He also received the Edgar End Award from the American College
of Hyperbaric Medicine in 1994 and the Richard A. Neubauer Award
for Excellence in Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Pediatric Neurology
in 2003.
Co-author of THE OXYGEN REVOLUTION, Dr.
Harch provides a wealth of insight into groundbreaking new treatment
for Stroke, Alzheimers, Parkinson's, Brain Injuries, Arthritis,
Diabetes, Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Heart Disease, Birth Injuries,
Learning Disabilities, Multiple Sclerosis, Dementia, Lou Gehrigs
Disease, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Asthma, Lyme Disease, AIDS,
Alcohol Abuse, Carbon Monoxide Poisoning, Vision Loss and more.
''... no further studies need be done
on HBOT in CP. When the rules used to compose the Accepted Indications
List are applied to CP the evidence is
found to exceed that of the majority of diagnoses on the list.
It is time for responsible physicians to acknow ledge this and
add CP to the list.''
